Archive for November, 2015

Labour MEPs have welcomed comments from researchers, academics and scientists on how being a member of the European Union enables Britain’s universities to be world leaders. They have warned a UK exit from the EU would be “catastrophic” for universities and scientific research, would cost tens of millions of pounds… read more →

Labour MEPs have welcomed new European Union guidelines on imports from Israeli settlements, which state Israeli producers must explicitly label farm goods and cosmetics that come from the settlements when they are sold in the EU. Richard Howitt MEP, Labour’s European Parliament spokesperson on foreign affairs and chair of the… read more →

Labour MEPs have reiterated their opposition to any form of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), the proposed EU-US trade deal. Tomorrow, trade commissioner Cecilia Malmström will table the EU’s formal proposal to the US, which is scheduled to be discussed at the… read more →

Labour MEPs have said the European Union must stick to its principles on the justice, rights, freedom and security when it comes to assessing which countries are fit for admission. The Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiation, Johannes Hahn, presented the 2015 EU Enlargement Package to MEPs this… read more →

Labour MEPs have successfully amended a parliamentary report on the Energy Union, the roadmap for upcoming legislation on the EU energy framework, to ensure consumers are put centre stage. The European Parliament industry, research and energy committee voted today to refocus the Energy Union from centring on fossil fuel to… read more →

Responding to David Cameron’s speech outlining his renegotiation demands today, Glenis Willmott MEP, Labour’s Leader in the European Parliament, said: “Whatever happens through Cameron’s negotiations, we cannot afford for Britain to become marginalised, its voice not heard at the table when decisions affecting our future are made. “Maintaining British influence… read more →

Labour MEPs today demonstrated with members of the GMB, the union for steel workers, and Unite the Union in Brussels to press the UK and EU governments to ‘Save our Steel’ and bring an end to the ‘dumping’ of cheap imported steel from China and other third countries. The demonstration… read more →

Labour MEPs have called for urgent action to ensure EU citizens’ fundamental legal rights are protected, following an Italian court ruling that overturned a previous judgement stating foreign lecturers should have equal rights to locals. The “lettori” – literally “readers” – were informed their cases against Italian universities to be… read more →

North West MEP Theresa Griffin today visited Sellafield in West Cumbria. Sellafield Ltd employs over 10,000 people in the North West in Cumbria and Risley in Warrington. This year alone they have taken on over 200 apprentices across the company this year and have been named top apprentice employer in… read more →

Labour MEPs today called for pressure to be exerted on countries where there is impunity for crimes against journalists, and pledged to work to make the European Union a more effective champion for free media in the world. Today, November 2, is the UN day against impunity for crimes targeting… read more →